4 Top Mobile App Types for Healthcare Providers

The barriers to creating mobile app are less daunting than they may seem. Big development budgets are not necessarily a prerequisite. In fact, many hospitals are doing really cool things in the mobile app space, without spending all of their marketing budgets. If you're considering a mobile app for your hospital or health system, take a look at four most prevalent types of apps for these organizations.

General information app

Perhaps the best way to dip your organization's toe in the smartphone app waters is by creating an app with general information and helpful tips about your hospital.

WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, SC, does a great job of this with its app, available on iPhone and Android. The app uses the user's geographic location to tell him how to get to the nearest hospital. It also displays ER wait times, includes detailed campus maps, helps patients find doctors, and allows patients to input health and insurance information.

Patient portal app
For the engaged patient on the go, a patient portal app is ideal.

For example, the UPMC Health Plan app allows patients to see view their personal health records, communicate with doctors and pharmacies, access their plan member ID information, and check their FSA balances.

Patient portals that point to personal health information must be able to protect that data. Be sure to apply best practices to ensure your patients' HIPAA rights—and protection your organization.

Charles Falls (3/5/2013 at 6:06 PM)
It is true that app usage is growing, and that healthcare providers need to get on board this train. While these four are valuable (particularly the portal, and women's health), the branded "In Case of Emergency" app we create for hospitals and healthcare providers offers their patients a potentially life-saving feature for smartphones. It puts the user's emergency contact information on the home screen of the phone, ahead of the lock screen, so any paramedic can know who to contact. Then the app itself lists the user's medical conditions, current medications and allergies to medications in order to help healthcare providers offer the best treatment for the user. This inexpensive app is already available in 9 states, with more to come soon. And it requires very little effort on the healthcare providers part to get it up and in the app stores.